[Check-In] Your Enthusiasm is Appreciated

[chalicejoker]

[It isn't too long into the Jaunt before Ryo's excited voice comes through on the network.]

BEST JAUNT EVER!

[And Hajime's far more exhausted mental voice comes in afterwards.]

This is Hajime, we, ah, did that thing where we're both infiltrating and not infiltrating, and there's some kind of space base out here with a lot of aliens bent on conquering Earth to take care of some bioweapon? I just...don't really know what's going on beyond that.

[Ryo cuts in again.]

And we're mantises! Mantis people are normal here! Not many of them, but enough to be normal! IS AMAZING!

Comments

[crouching_sin]

Oh good, we're together. I've got a Tengu, it looks like.

If you know about 'Adam Caine', that's me. ... Your infiltration would know about him, if you have infiltrator knowledge. He's known for being... erm. Loud.

[how_they_shine]

I don't, unfortunately. That would make this easier from what I hear. Luckily this is pretty close to home, just... on Earth. Not thousands of lightyears distant.

But good, I'm glad to know we're on the same team here. Loud in what way?

[He's not going to mention the name. That's just rubbing salt in a wound.]

[crouching_sin]

Loud in the 'anime protagonist' sense, but he's not the one picked to pilot the special robot so he's not the protagonist.

[how_they_shine]

. . . [thoughtfully] It maybe says something about me that what you said made perfect sense.

[crouching_sin]

I kind of figured it would. Alice is with me as a cat, which she does not appreciate.

[how_they_shine]

No, I bet she doesn't. It looks like Hope is with me, pretending to be a plushie, but the rest of the kids have stayed in liminal space. If Alice wants a portal back, she's welcome to come my way and catch a ride the next time I go in. I get the feeling we're going to need some practice with the tech.

[crouching_sin]

It's appreciated. Right now she's just riding on my shoulder or in my arms. I'd like to practice with this tech as well.

[how_they_shine]

As soon as I have the specs down on the different ESDF mechs I'm going to see about making up some simulators in liminal for practice. We can't just go out on a battlefield with no idea how to pilot these things - we'll get people killed. I'll try to hijack an extra tablet, communicator, and any small arms that I see so we can take them apart and see how they work. The computers, though... I'm not as familiar with those. I can figure out how to use them, but the interiors don't make a lot of sense to me.

[crouching_sin]

There might be some sims here we could use. If I take some time I can figure out the technology but I'm not entirely sure what our schedules are like.

[how_they_shine]

Probably, but we're supposed to know what we're doing. At home the public sims had score listings, and no matter how well you did, your scores were sent to your personnel file. Your commander could review them at any time.

I'm not saying that's what they do here, but I'd rather not risk giving myself away just yet. At least in liminal space I'll know the scores won't go anywhere.

[crouching_sin]

... Mm. I should practice there when you get it set up, then. I'm a fast learner, but I haven't piloted a mech before. Not in real life, anyway.